James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

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or by email:gurneyjourney (at) gmail.comSorry, I can't give personal art advice or portfolio reviews. If you can, it's best to ask art questions in the blog comments.

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All images and text are copyright 2015 James Gurney and/or their respective owners. Dinotopia is a registered trademark of James Gurney. For use of text or images in traditional print media or for any commercial licensing rights, please email me for permission.

However, you can quote images or text without asking permission on your educational or non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you give me credit and provide a link back. Students and teachers can also quote images or text for their non-commercial school activity. It's also OK to do an artistic copy of my paintings as a study exercise without asking permission.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Some artists of advanced age might feel that they’re too old to really make a mark in their field. The business belongs to the young, they might think.

Consider the career of Norman Mingo (1896-1980), Mad Magazine’s most celebrated cover artist. A veteran of the World War One, he painted his first Mad cover in 1956 at age 60.

And what a cover! It was the definitive portrait of the cheerful simpleton Alfred E. Neuman. Every Mad artist thereafter has been required to match Mingo’s version, and they agree: no one can top it. The painting sold at auction two years ago for more than 200,000 dollars.

12 comments:

Yup! It's difficult not to feel the race against time when you have a vision of where you want your skill level to be. As a sandwich generation artist, it's a challenge to keep all those balls in the air, but I can't help pursuing what I love! Just have to appreciate each moment. Thanks for the post!

As a guy fast approaching 56 and much more aware of my own mortality than I was in my youth, this is an inspirational post.I am very interested in Mingo's career preceding his success with Mad Magazine. I will definitely read his bio on Wikipedia.As always your blog continues to be inspirational as well as educational.

Beyond all the incredible knowledge of art you share on this blog, you continue to also inspire us readers at the highest level. I have often wondered if I am getting too old at 44 to seriously have a career in the illustration field. My dream when I went to art school was to be a fantasy book cover artist, but real life took over and I landed a job as a designer/art director in the advertising field. I can now post this on my studio wall as a reminder that it truly is not too late. Thank you so much.